“I wondered lonely as a cloud, that floats on high o’er dales and hills,when all at once I saw a crowd-a host of golden daffodils. ” WilliamWordsworth I hope he was taking an antihistamine. If he were not, he woulddevelop signs and symptoms of allergies. These include, but are not limited to asore throat; red, itchy, watery eyes; nasal congestion and drainage; coughingand sneezing. There are many remedies, from grandma’s kitchen to the allergyresearch center.
The allergy season is usually from late February to mid-May. Grass is the biggest offender during the latter part of the season. Pollens fromtrees and plants are released each year during early spring. There are cellsfloating around in your body and when the allergen is inhaled, it attachesitself to a specific cell. Then, it produces histamines (which stimulatesgastric secretion and dilates blood vessels. ) Your body reacts to this invasionwith the signs of allergies.
There are many over-the-counter medications to helpreduce the symptoms. Benadryl, Tavist and Cholortrimeton are calledantihistamines, which reduce the symptoms of allergies. Antihistamines make itdifficult for the histamines to be released in the bloodstream. However, thereis a drawback to this, and that is it will produce drowsiness.
Prescriptionmedication can be given to combat symptoms also. Allegra, is the newest of thesemedications. Claritin and Hismanal are non-sedating. There is, by prescription,a nasal spray that can be given to reduce sneezing.
Of course, the last resortis by injection. A tiny amount of the same allergen that you are allergic to isinjected under your skin. This, hopefully, will slowly desensitize you. Thecombination of these drugs should fit into many lifestyles.
Briggite Mars, awell-known herbalist states, “I generally view allergies as an indicationof a weakened immune system. ” She also believes that stress is a majorfactor and should be reduced. This, in turn, will boost your immune system. Adiet rich in beta-carotene, lamb, and even violets can improve the sufferer’sallergic response. Every year around the same time, Michelle Robertson, whoworked for a doctor as a medical assistant thought she had developed a cold andwould then miss work.
She would go in with the red eyes, nasal congestion, andcough. It was really her allergy. There are many kinds of pollen from trees,plants, weeds, flowers, mold, and ragweed being the worsts of all. Pollen, whichlooks like a sphere with spikes can travel hundreds of miles away. It has beenfound as far as Antarctica.
There is no getting away from it. However, there isa meter that reads the pollen count. It has been read from zero to as high asfour hundred in mid-September. In comparing the articles, the treatments werethe same, with the Cooper article, “More treatments available for thosewith hay fever, allergies. ” The Wood article, “Ragweed hits hard atpollen suffers,” gives just over-the-counter medications.
It also talks onavoidance being the best policy of allergies. Cooper, talks more about diet andhomeopathic remedies. There is a difference on the allergy season between thearticles. The first being the February to March season.
Wood made a statement ofthe pollen count meter reading as a high as 400 in mid-September. This could bedue to the meter’s geographic location. Overall, the Cooper article was muchmore informative. It had a pleasant even flow to it starting with the poetry,what allergies are, the treatment, and the diet.
It had high points that helpedkeep the article in perspective that the Wood’s did not. BibliographyCooper, Cynthia. “More treatments available for those with hay fever,allergies. ” Knight- Ridder/Tribune News Service 16 May 1997, p516k8337Wood, R. Anthony. “Ragweed hits hard at pollen suffers.
” Knight-ridder/TribuneNews Service 29 Aug. 1997, p829k4377 ”
